Special session for delimitation Bill likely if NDA crosses 2/3rds mark

Top ministerial sources on Tuesday said the moment they (the NDA) get a two-thirds majority in the Houses, they would bring the Bill.

“The Bill is our topmost priority. Once we cross the two-thirds mark, we will pilot the Bill. Why monsoon session? We will bring it even through a special session of Parliament provided we get the numbers,” a top minister said.

He was speaking on the eve of the BJP-led NDA dispensation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 12 years in power and Modi surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru as India’s longest-serving PM.

As there are currently three vacancies in the 543-member Lok Sabha, 360 is the halfway mark. With 20 MPs of the TMC breaking away and set to back the NDA in the Lok Sabha, NDA numbers in the House will surge from 293 to 313.

Besides, sources did not rule out an understanding with the DMK on the Bill. “The Bill raises the current Lok Sabha strength of every state by 50 per cent, which means Tamil Nadu and all other southern states will benefit if 33 per cent seats for women are reserved after the proposed delimitation,” said sources, adding that the DMK and the Congress party’s alienation would help.

According to the sources, the NDA may engage Shiv Sena (UBT) as well. The DMK has 22 MPs in the House and Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine. The BJP is confident of making up the remainder with the support of smaller parties.

During a special session of Parliament on April 17 this year, a united Opposition had defeated the government’s move to amend the Constitution for raising the number of seats in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies and reserving one-third of these for women in time for the 2029 elections.

While 298 MPs voted for the draft law that tied women’s reservation to delimitation of constituencies, 230 voted against it. Being a Constitution amendment Bill, the agenda required a two-thirds majority of the 528 MPs present and voting, which meant 352 votes. The government fell short of 54 votes even as the ruling and Opposition blocs stayed firm on their pre-declared stances on the Bill.

However, sources have now said that the DMK could be convinced to support. “If we were to reserve 33 per cent seats for women on today’s Lok Sabha strength, 13 out of Tamil Nadu’s 39 seats will go to women and only 26 will be open. The 50 per cent rise in Lok Sabha seats for every state that we are proposing will mean 59 seats for Tamil Nadu with 20 seats reserved for women and 39 open. The latter is better,” said a senior minister.